Are you ready to take your first step into creating a website? Before you can start designing the look and feel of it, you need to know about website hosting. This ultimate guide will cover everything you need to know about domain names, domain name servers, SSLs, and more – read on for all the details!
What is a domain name and why do I need one?
A domain name is the address of your website. It's how people find you online. Choosing the right domain name is important because it's how you'll be known on the Internet.
Your domain name should be:
Short and easy to remember
Related to your business or personal brand
Unique (not already in use by someone else)
Domain names can be up to 63 characters long, including letters, numbers, and hyphens. They can't start or end with a hyphen. You can't have two consecutive hyphens anywhere in the middle of the name either. thinking about a few different options before you decide on one.
What is an SSL and how does it help secure my website?
An SSL, or secure sockets layer, is a type of security protocol that helps to secure communications between a web server and a web browser. By encrypting the data that is transmitted between the two, it helps to prevent criminals from intercepting and viewing sensitive information, like credit card numbers or login credentials.
What is a DNS or Domain Name Server?
A DNS, or Domain Name Server, is the phone book of the internet. It's a decentralized system that maps human-readable domain names like www.example.com to IP addresses like 192.0.2.1.
When you type a domain name into your web browser, your computer contacts a DNS server to figure out the IP address of the website you're trying to reach. The DNS server then responds with the IP address, and your browser connects to the website at that address.
DNS servers are maintained by organizations all over the world, and anyone can run a DNS server for their owndomain name. Most people use DNS servers provided by their internet service provider (ISP), but there are many public DNS servers available as well, such as Google Public DNS and Cloudflare DNS.
How can I create a branded email using my Domain Name?
Creating a branded email using your domain name is key to establishing credibility and professionalism for your business. By using your own domain name, you can create a custom email address that looks like this: yourname@YourDomain.com
Creating a branded email address using your domain name is key to establishing credibility and professionalism for your business. By using your own domain name, you can create a custom email address that looks like this: yourname@yourdomainname.com
Emails can be configured from your website hosting panel account or if you are more technical then they can also be configured through the cPanel or server configuration. For advanced guides on how to do this see our hosting help section and knowledge base.
What is a website hosting server?
When you are ready to make your website available to the world, you will need to choose a web hosting server. This is a server that will “host” your website files and make them accessible to anyone who wants to view your site.
There are a variety of web hosting servers available, and the one you choose will depend on your specific needs. If you are just starting out, you may want to choose a shared server, which is the most economical option. With a shared server, your website shares space with other websites on the same server.
If you have a large or more complex website, you may want to choose a dedicated server. This option gives you more control over your website and its security, but it is also more expensive.
For most small-to-medium sized websites, a shared or managed WordPress host will be sufficient. Once you know what type of hosting server you need, you can start shopping around for the best option for your website.
How does a domain name, SSL and website hosting server fit together?
A domain name is the address of your website. It's what people will type in to find your site. Your domain name can be anything you want, as long as it's not already taken. Once you've registered your domain name, you need to point it to a web hosting server. This is done by changing the DNS (domain name system) records for your domain.
SSL (secure sockets layer) is a technology that encrypts data sent between your visitors and your website. This is important for protecting sensitive information like credit card numbers and login credentials. In order to use SSL, you need to have a dedicated IP address for your website. Most web hosting providers offer this as an add-on service.
Your website hosting server is where your website's files are stored. When someone visits your domain, their browser will connect to your server and load the files from there. There are many different types of web hosting servers, but most websites will be fine with a shared or virtual private server.
This is complicated. Who can I use to get this all set up for me properly?
There are a lot of website hosting services out there, and it can be tough to figure out which one is right for you. If you're not sure which service to use, you can always ask
Monolith Solutions for help. We will be able to set up your website on the right host and make sure everything is working properly.
